Boss battles are the true test of any gamer. Whether it's facing off against a giant alligator in the sewers of Raccoon City or struggling to drop King Koopa in yet another pit of lava, these intense confrontations mark the highlight of many gaming experiences.

But what makes a boss battle good? Is it the way players are asked to dispose of a major foe in a creative way? Is it the sheer magnitude of the conflict itself? Or is it just enjoying defeating someone who has been a thorn in one's side for the bulk of a video game? Whatever the case may be these fights often constitute the favorite memories for people who played the particular games — much more than just trouncing some minor baddies in the process. While all of us have our own favorite boss fights, there are a few that stand head-and-shoulders above the rest, as true victories in development. These are those battles …

Sundeep:

Mike Tyson ("Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!")

Mike Tyson, also called "Iron" Mike Tyson and The Baddest Man on the Planet, was one notorious bad man in 1987's Nintendo classic, "Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!" Sure, Tyson was nowhere near as menacing as in '97's notorious Evander Holyfield fight, in which Holyfield lost his much-needed aural organ. Fortunately for gamers, fighting Mike Tyson does not include losing an ear. However, his early abilities in the boxing ring were certainly present in "Punch Out!!" as Tyson could knock any opponent out with a single hit.

Beating Tyson also came down to getting some hits in, which was difficult enough since Tyson's one-two punch usually didn't leave much room for a solid swing. Perhaps, what made defeating Tyson so difficult was the lack of a "save" function in early consoles. Without a save, players were left having to play through all of the "Punch Out!!" boxers only to be beaten again and again by Mike Tyson. In later additions of "Punch Out!!" (post-criminal activity), Tyson was appropriately replaced by Mr. Dream, who was just Mike Tyson's outline with a new face.

Ryan:

Psycho Mantis ("Metal Gear Solid")

The "Metal Gear" series boasts some of the better boss concepts ever, with "MGS" for the Playstation often seen as one of the best collections of foes in gaming. The members of FOX-HOUND included many worthy foes, but Psycho Mantis was easily both the creepiest and coolest.

The battle began with Mantis effectively pulling gamers into the situation, taking the game out of the television and putting it in a real world context. Sounds confusing, huh? The way he did this was by first scanning the player's memory card for other Konami games, which he'd mention if he found any. His next trick involved looking at the number of saves and other stats from the "Metal Gear Solid" file, commenting on the player's style and shortcomings. His grand finale stands out as one of the coolest interactions up until that point, as he asked players to place their controllers on a flat surface. Soon thereafter, through the magic of force feedback, Mantis would "telepathically" make their controllers dance across the room — something that really must be experienced to appreciate.

After making players think he had some strange psychic abilities throughout much of the game, Mantis proved his talents by possessing Snake's love interest, Meryl. He forces Snake to knock Meryl unconscious before beginning one of the more inventive battles in video games.

Players are shown a screen reading "HIDEO 2" out of nowhere, making most wonder if they'd accidentally hit the remote control. This was actually a chance for players to switch the slot their controller was plugged into, which eliminated Mantis' ability to read their minds. The concept was that gamers were using the opposite side of their brain by switching slots, somehow confusing Mantis. While the explanation is a bit murky, the creative nature of the fight is enough to rank Psycho Mantis among the truly great boss battles.

Sundeep:

Ganondorf/Ganon ("Ocarina of Time")

The king of the Gerudo tribe, in 1998's "The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time," Ganondorf is the dark-clad villain set on conquering the land of Hyrule. Though not particularly difficult to beat if you know what you're doing, what makes Ganondorf interesting is his dark history throughout the "Zelda" series (as Ganon) and "Ocarina."

In "Ocarina," Ganondorf is the only male of the Gerudo tribe due to the fact that only one male is born every century. As the Gerudo king, he betrays the King of Hyrule in his quest for the Triforce and uses Link to gain access to the Sacred Realm where the Triforce is kept. However, his plans are foiled as the Triforce is divided into three, with Link holding the Triforce of Courage, Zelda the Triforce of Wisdom and Ganondorf the Triforce of Power.

In his final moments, through the power of Triforce of Power, Ganondorf turns into the notorious Ganon, the pig-human villain present through the "Zelda" series. Like earlier "Zelda" games, beating Ganon came down to quick interchange between Link's sword and arrows.

Ryan:

All 16 Colossi ("Shadow of the Colossus")

"Shadow of the Colossus" presents arguably the best boss battles ever. That's a rather bold statement, but anyone who has played the revolutionary title knows it's true. For those who aren't privileged enough to have experienced the game, the core of "Shadow" consists of riding around on a horse and fighting towering Colossi. Gamers are given the daunting task of finding a way to scale the creatures and stab them in their weak spot.

This simple premise is further complicated as the game progresses, with Colossi's weaknesses turning into their strengths and the method of fighting them always fluctuating. While one battle might require players to pelt a flying Colossus with arrows before jumping onto its wing as it swoops down, the next could ask them to dive into a lake and use themselves as Colossus bait. No one tactic works for every battle, making each boss more difficult than the previous.

So is it a cop-out to pick 16 bosses as a "great boss battle?" Maybe. But it's hard to argue that "Shadow of the Colossus" doesn't offer some of the most intense, frenzied and, above all, fun battles ever crafted.

Ryan ([email protected]) and Sundeep ([email protected]) are hopelessly addicted to video games. Sundeep is currently reminiscing with Sega's classic "Sonic the Hedgehog 3." Nothing beats speedy blue rodents. Ryan is anxiously awaiting "Gun" and "WWE: Smackdown vs. Raw 2006."